Every unprotected child and teenager should be given two doses of MMR vaccine

27 May 2009

Dr. Rosemary McCann, the Agency's North West Immunisation lead, said: "We're still seeing a lot of measles and mumps in many parts of the region and the only way we're going to eliminate these infections is by working with parents, schools, universities and other further education institutions to encourage MMR uptake.

"Every child should be vaccinated at 13 months and given a booster before going to school. Thankfully, these uptake rates are continuing to rise, but we still have large numbers of older children and teenagers who missed out on vaccination at the appropriate age. That's why we're seeing so many cases of mumps in teenagers and young adults.

"My message to parents of unprotected teenagers and young adults, in fact to the young people themselves, is that it is not too late to be vaccinated. Anyone up to the age of 18 who has not previously had two doses of MMR vaccine should arrange it now through their family doctor."

Dr. McCann said that measles and mumps should not be lightly dismissed as childhood illnesses. Measles can be a nasty illness with potential for complications including meningitis and encephalitis. On rare occasions, measles can kill.

Mumps is also a serious and often very painful illness that can lead to complications including viral meningitis, long term hearing problems and painful swelling of the testicles in males and the ovaries in females.

"My big fear is that we will see further outbreaks in the region unless we are successful in improving MMR uptake rates amongst pre-school-age children and in persuading parents to have older children and teenagers vaccinated by their family doctors," Dr. McCann said.

Note to editors

Measles is an infectious viral illness that at one time affected up to 800,000 people every year. Since the introduction of measles vaccine, and especially since the introduction of MMR vaccine in 1988, the numbers of cases have reduced dramatically.

There is no specific treatment for measles.  Doctors and nurses treat the symptoms by, for instance, reducing fever. (Aspirin should not be given to anyone under 16 years old). Occasionally, antibiotics may be needed to treat a secondary bacterial infection.

People are infectious from just before they become unwell until around four days after the onset of the rash. Those affected should stay off work or school for five days from the onset of the rash.

Classic symptoms of measles are:

• Fever
• Cough
• Red and painful eyes
• Swollen glands
• Loss of appetite
• Rash, which tends to follow 3-4 days after onset of the above symptoms

Most people will recover from measles without too many problems, but a significant number will develop complications. These may include:

• Ear infection (one in 20)
• Pneumonia/bronchitis (one in 25)
• Convulsion (one in 200)
• Diarrhoea (one in six)
• Hospital admission (one in 100)
• Meningitis/encephalitis (one in 1,000)
• Late onset subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) (one in 8,000 children under two years old). SSPE is a rare degenerative neurological condition that can develop some years after measles infection. It causes brain damage and death. The risk is greatest in those who were infected with measles at a young age. The average interval from measles infection to onset of SSPE is eight years. Death invariably follows. Since the introduction of live attenuated measles vaccine in the 1960s, the incidence of SSPE has dramatically decreased.
• Death (one in 2,500-5,000))

Further information is available from:
http://www.immunisation.nhs.uk/
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/measles/menu.htm

Mumps symptoms are: painful inflammation and swelling of the salivary glands under one or both sides of the jaw, fever and headache.

For more information visit:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1195733851374?p=1191942172905
http://www.immunisation.nhs.uk/Vaccines/MMR

Press release issued by Hugh Lamont, Communications Manager, HPA North West. Tel. 0151-482-5728 or 07764-906508.

Last reviewed: 27 May 2009